JUST WATCHED

Coast guard dismantled after ferry fiasco

MUST WATCH

Story highlights

She says the coast guard "failed in its duty to carry out the rescue operation"

The Sewol ferry sank in the Yellow Sea en route to a resort island on April 16

Most of the passengers were students on a high-school field trip

South Korea's President made an emotional apology Monday over the ferry disaster that killed close to 300 people last month and said she would dismantle the country's coast guard.

"As the President who should be responsible for people's life and security, I am sincerely apologizing to the people for having to suffer pain," said President Park Geun-hye in a televised speech. "The final responsibility for not being able to respond properly lies on me."

The Sewol ferry sank en route to the resort island of Jeju on April 16, leaving more than 304 people dead or missing. Most of the passengers were high school students on a field trip.

"As a President, I feel a sense of sorrow for not being able to protect them during their family trip," said Park, whose approval ratings have dropped significantly in the weeks since the sinking.

The Sewol disaster caused widespread outrage in South Korea over lax safety standards and the failure to rescue more people as the ship foundered.

JUST WATCHED

S. Korean President apologizes

MUST WATCH

S. Korean President apologizes 01:58

Photos:

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A relative of a victim weeps as she and others stand on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken Sewol ferry on April 15, 2015 -- one day before the one year anniversary of the disaster.

Hide Caption

1 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A relative hands out flowers to others on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken ferry. More than 100 relatives of victims of South Korea's Sewol ferry disaster tearfully cast flowers into the sea.

Hide Caption

2 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A man hold a flower as he stands on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken Sewol ferry, off the coast of South Korea's southern island of Jindo.

Hide Caption

3 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – The mother of Sewol ferry disaster victim, Danwon High School student Lim Kyung-Bin, attends a rally to pay tribute to the victims of the ferry disaster on April 11, 2015, Seoul, South Korea.

Hide Caption

4 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Relatives of victims of the Sewol ferry disaster march across a bridge over the Han river in Seoul on April 5, 2015. More than 200 people participated in the march from Ansan city. Many of them were the parents of the 250 students who died when the overloaded ferry sank off Jindo on April 16, 2014.

Hide Caption

5 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Relatives of victims of the Sewol ferry hold portraits of victims during a rally on April 5, 2015 in Seoul. Relatives, students and citizens attended the vigil to pay tribute to the victims of the ferry disaster and demanded that the wreckage be salvaged.

Hide Caption

6 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Sewol ferry captain Lee Joon-Seok was acquitted of murder, avoiding a death sentence, but was sentenced to 36 years in jail on November 11 for his role in the maritime disaster that killed more than 300.

Hide Caption

7 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Shoes believed to belong to the missing and the deceased are on display at the harbor.

Hide Caption

8 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Jindo harbor, where the search operation is based, has become a memorial for those who lost their lives. Yellow ribbons and photos are displayed as people come to pay their respects.

Hide Caption

9 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A joint government-civilian task force is still looking for the missing, but winter is fast approaching.

Hide Caption

10 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Ten are still missing from tragic ferry sinking last April, which killed more than 300. Six months later, families are still waiting for their loved ones to be found. The parents of 16-year-old Huh Da-yoon, pictured, are among them.

Hide Caption

11 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – The families of the ten who remain missing have been waiting in Jindo Indoor Gymnasium since the first day. Families can watch search mission in real time on a large monitor in the gym.

Hide Caption

12 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – South Korean President Park Geun-hye weeps while delivering a speech to the nation about the sunken ferry Sewol at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, May 19. More than 200 bodies have been found and nearly 100 people remain missing after the ferry sank April 16 off South Korea's southwest coast.

Hide Caption

13 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Police in Seoul detain a protester during a march Saturday, May 17, for victims of the Sewol.

Hide Caption

14 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A girl in Seoul holds a candle during a service paying tribute to the victims of the Sewol on Wednesday, April 30.

Hide Caption

15 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – People pay tribute to victims at a memorial altar in Ansan, South Korea, on Tuesday, April 29.

Hide Caption

16 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A police officer holds an umbrella for a relative of a missing ferry passenger Monday, April 28, in Jindo, South Korea.

Hide Caption

17 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – South Korean Buddhists carry lanterns in a parade in Seoul on Saturday, April 26, to honor the memory of the dead and the safe return of the missing.

Hide Caption

18 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Divers search for people in the waters near Jindo on April 26.

Hide Caption

19 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – People in Ansan attend a memorial for the victims on April 26.

Hide Caption

20 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A diver jumps into the sea near the sunken ferry on Friday, April 25.

Hide Caption

21 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A relative of a passenger weeps while waiting for news of his missing loved one at a port in Jindo on April 25.

Hide Caption

22 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – People attend a memorial for the victims at the Olympic Memorial Hall in Ansan on Thursday, April 24.

Hide Caption

23 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Yellow ribbons honoring the victims flap in the wind as a hearse carrying a victim's body leaves Danwon High School in Ansan on April 24. Most of the people on board the ferry were high school students on their way to the resort island of Jeju.

Hide Caption

24 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – People attend a memorial for the victims at Olympic Memorial Hall in Ansan.

Hide Caption

25 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Search personnel dive into the sea on Wednesday, April 23.

Hide Caption

26 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Flares light up the search area on Tuesday, April 22.

Hide Caption

27 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – The sun sets over the site of the sunken ferry on April 22.

Hide Caption

28 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A relative of a ferry passenger prays as she waits for news in Jindo on April 22.

Hide Caption

29 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – The search for victims continues April 22 in the waters of the Yellow Sea.

Hide Caption

30 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Rescue workers in Jindo carry the body of a passenger on Monday, April 21.

Hide Caption

31 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Divers jump into the water on April 21 to search for passengers near the buoys that mark the site of the sunken ferry.

Hide Caption

32 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Search operations continue as flares illuminate the scene near Jindo on Sunday, April 20.

South Korean ferry sinks – Relatives of passengers look out at the sea from Jindo on April 20.

Hide Caption

35 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Police officers in Jindo stand guard Saturday, April 19, to prevent relatives of the ferry's missing passengers from jumping in the water. Some relatives said they will swim to the shipwreck site and find their missing family members by themselves.

Hide Caption

36 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Family members of missing passengers hug as they await news of their missing relatives at Jindo Gymnasium on April 19.

Hide Caption

37 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – South Korean Navy Ship Salvage Unit members prepare to salvage the sunken ferry and search for missing people on April 19.

Hide Caption

38 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Lee Joon Suk, the captain of the Sewol, is escorted to the court that issued his arrest warrant Friday, April 18, in Mokpo, South Korea.

Hide Caption

39 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A woman cries as she waits for news on missing passengers April 18 in Jindo.

Hide Caption

40 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A searchlight illuminates the capsized ferry on Thursday, April 17.

Hide Caption

41 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A woman cries during a candlelight vigil at Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea, on April 17.

Hide Caption

42 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Family members of passengers aboard the sunken ferry gather at a gymnasium in Jindo on April 17.

Hide Caption

43 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – The body of a victim is moved at a hospital in Mokpo on April 17.

Hide Caption

44 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Relatives of a passenger cry at a port in Jindo on April 17 as they wait for news on the rescue operation.

Hide Caption

45 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – South Korean coast guard members and rescue teams search for passengers at the site of the sunken ferry on April 17.

Hide Caption

46 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A relative of a passenger cries as she waits for news on Wednesday, April 16.

Hide Caption

47 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Relatives check a list of survivors April 16 in Jindo.

Hide Caption

48 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Rescue crews attempt to save passengers from the ferry on April 16.

Hide Caption

49 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – A relative waits for a missing loved one at the port in Jindo.

Hide Caption

50 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Parents at Danwon High School search for names of their children among the list of survivors. Ansan is a suburb of Seoul, the South Korean capital.

Hide Caption

51 of 55

Photos:

South Korean ferry sinks – Helicopters hover over the ferry as rescue operations continue April 16.

Ferry CEO charged with negligence

MUST WATCH

JUST WATCHED

Ferry captain, 3 crew charged with murder

MUST WATCH

Questions have been raised over the government's oversight of the ferry industry and its handling of the crisis.

Coast guard under fire

Park slammed the coast guard for its role in the disaster, saying it "failed in its duty to carry out the rescue operation."

The coast guard has been criticized amid suggestions it could have saved more passengers as the ferry was sinking into the frigid waters of the Yellow Sea.

"After serious consideration, I've decided to dismantle the coast guard," Park said. "The investigation and information roles will be transferred to the police while the rescue and salvage operation and ocean security roles will be transferred to the department for national safety which will be newly established."

Shedding tears, she proposed building a monument to the victims and setting aside April 16 as a day to focus on safety.

"I, again, pray for those who passed away during the incident and express my deep condolence to the families," Park said.

She singled out people -- both passengers and crew members -- who perished trying to save the lives of others.

"I believe these people are the real heroes of our generation," Park said.

Captain, others charged

The captain and crew members who survived have come under particularly heavy criticism. They are accused of telling passengers to stay put as the ferry began to capsize and then being among the first people to leave the stricken vessel.

A chief prosecutor announced last week that the captain and three other crew members have been charged with murder. Eleven other crew members have been indicted on charges of abandonment and violating a ship safety act.

Investigators have identified problems with the cargo, including overloading and the failure to secure it properly, as being among the likely reasons for the Sewol's sinking. They have said modifications to the ship last year, in which passenger cabins were added to increase its capacity, may have contributed to problems with the ship's balance.

The chief executive of the ferry operator is facing charges of causing death by negligence, as well as causing the capsizing of the ship in the line of duty.

The investigation into the disaster is ongoing, as is the underwater search for the 18 people who remain missing from the sinking.